Russian General Warns US, NATO Of ‘Provocative’ Drills Near Border

Russian General Sergei Rudskoi has issued a formal letter to NATO on Monday criticizing them for holding a growing number of military exercises immediately along the Russian borders, and in many cases, directly aimed at Russia.

Russia and NATO tend toward having military exercises on their respective frontiers, which the other side almost always labels as provocative, even though both sides do it. There are clearly differences between defensive training and practicing aggressive operations.

In this case, NATO is preparing for the later. Rudskoi singled out a recent Barents Sea drill in which they were simulating attacks on Russian territory and the seizure of Russian ICBMs. This was the first such NATO drill since the Cold War.

US and British flags in the Barents Sea was seen as particularly jarring for Russia, but officials say they intend it to be the “new normal” With NATO interested in challenging Russia’s claims in the north, this is likely to be a growing concern.